Young talents redesign Hyatt Hotels & Resorts management training programme at the Young Hoteliers Summit

The third edition of the Young Hoteliers Summit came to an exciting close in March of this year at the Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne. Three exhilarating days saw 54 delegates from 19 hospitality schools from across the globe join forces with leaders from the industry, to co-develop actionable proposals for the future of hospitality. Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Expedia were the major partners of the event. Next's year Young Hoteliers Summit will be held from March 18^th to 20^th 2013.

On the first day Mr Pascal Gauthier, Vice President Learning & Development of Hyatt Hotels and Resorts announced this year's YHS Challenge: to redesign the management training programme for Hyatt Hotels and Resorts to better suit the expectations of students whilst still meeting the needs of the business. Later, Gebhard Rainer, Managing Director of Hyatt Hotels 6 Resorts (E.A.M.E) gave an inspiring keynote speech regarding overcoming the challenges that are met in today's workforce. A panel discussion opened dialogue between industry leaders and students on the subject of: "Operational hospitality vs. Corporate hospitality: How can graduates decide which path will be more beneficial?" This discussion brought to light that many students aspire to corporate positions, but by the end, most saw the value that can be created from operational positions as well. The day came to a close with a keynote speech from Mr Christophe Navarre, CEO of Moët Hennessy. Mr Navarre took the time to explain his journey to becoming a director in one at the leading luxury brands in the world.

Day two opened with workshops and company presentations offered by the event's partners. Woody Wade, a pioneer in Scenario Planning, gave a workshop to demonstrate the need to think out of the box. The second panel of the summit centred around the subject: "How can we reduce the gap between students' expectations and companies' job offerings?" The third and final keynote speaker, Mr Gerard Greene, CEO of Yotel, addressed the summit with "What they don't teach you in school" – another fantastic story of success, which motivated all those present. On this same day, the EHL job fair added to the already bustling atmosphere on campus – as students and delegates introduced themselves to potential employers. On day three, the delegates were given time to sit within their groups to develop solutions to the YHS Challenge to eventually present them in front of a jury comprised of Hyatt and EHL representatives.

Congratulations to Jian Owen Chang from Beijing Hospitality Institute; Jenni Knaapila from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences; Laura Durst from International University of Applied Sciences Bad Honnef; Mark O'Shaughnessy from Shannon College of Hotel Management; and Bernard Nasrallah from La Sagesse University. The winning prize was a one-week trip to Dubai to shadow top managers at the Hyatt Corporate Divisional Office.

YHS 2012 is over, but the link above shows the highlights of this year's event. The fourth edition of the Young Hoteliers Summit will be held in March 2013. Another inspiring line up of professionals and even more international hospitality students, a new set of workshops, and not to mention another fantastic opportunity for networking awaits all.

YHS 2012 Partners: Lausanne Palace & Spa, STR Global, Stand & Deliver, Carlson Rezidor Hotels Group, iTaste, Chateauform', 25 Hours Hotels, Brand Karma, Alpeor, Wenger, Henniez, hit-Consult, Publicislive, Faena Group, The Dorchester Collection, HVS Executive Search, Hammel Vins, Bench Events, EHL Alumni Department, INTEHL, EHL Career Center, Kempinski Hotels & Resorts, Domaine Clarence Dillon, Cash Hotel,